After an 8-year administration of slashing environmental and ocean science budgets, the US’ President Bush, with just weeks left in office, took a stance to protect what is the largest area of significant ocean habitat in the world. Go figure.

Now, as a marine scientist and environmentalist, I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining. This is probably one of the most significant acts of ocean legislation passed in decades,and is a major victory for the ocean and its inhabitants.

But as they say, politics is politics. One cannot help but note that this very noble action by President Bush comes at a time when his approval ratings are at their lowest, our country is in its worst recession in nearly a century, and we are in a seemingly never ending war. Consider this…an easy feather in the cap, appeasing ‘blue’-minded democrats during this transitional adminstrative period, and yes, a ‘legacy’ action to put the cap on one of the most controversial presidencies of our time.

Perplexed. It’s all just too much to digest at this writing.

See the commentary courtesy CNN: